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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-13-2011, 04:21 PM
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Krebs,
You could talk me out of mine for about $400. Perhaps I should up the price given that it's now considered "vintage." lol.
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Forum: Lens Sample Photo Archive
07-25-2011, 09:21 AM
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I took these while experimenting with the "Brenzier" method. I could never get the pics stichted together correctly, though. So alas the experiment was a failure. But these pics, while mudane, show off the thin DOF.
These were taken with the M 50mm 1.7 wide open. The point of focus is the left side of the cup, though maybe I should have chosen the straw. Then, according the Brenzier method, the focus is not changed in subsequent pics in order to create a seamless stitched end-product. I took about 100 exposures, gradually limiting the number of exposures to attempt to stitch together. My software, PS Elements, wouldn't even stitch 10 together correctly. Might have been user error though.
FWIW, here's a detailed explanation of the Brenzier method:
The Brenizer Method Explained With Directions | San Francisco Editorial Story-telling Wedding Photography | Bui Photography |
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-04-2014, 12:40 PM
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Regarding the use of tilt: I thought this was a toy tank when I first looked at the image, so I would say mission accomplished.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
01-20-2014, 12:57 PM
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I have a Pentax F remote. I've had it for years; it has always performed flawlessly. BUT, I found it's greatest weakness recently, one I hadn't confronted or even realized existed. So I wanted to take a shot of my family; I found a great place for it. 2 grandparents, 4 kids, my wife, and I. I set up my tripod and camera, frame the shot. For great composition, I'm across the road, about 30 feet from where they are. No problem as I'm not in the first pics, so I trigger the camera with the remote on a delay, but I'm standing 12" from the camera, so I'm right there.
So time for me to get into the shot. I take my F remote and go over to the spot. F remote won't trigger from 30'. So I have to change lenses, move the camera to within 10', recompose, and now the composition is not so great. In fact, I hate it. I get the shot, it looks good, but the background from 30' is definitely more pleasing than from 10'. So now I'm on the search for a remote that works from a longer distance.
I search and search, then on ebay I find the RW-221 Wireless remote, with the E3 end piece. Order it. It comes in. It plugs into the remote pin on my k-5ii. I test it, and it works flawlessly from nearly 100'. Great remote and I highly recommend it. Find it on ebay.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-11-2013, 11:28 AM
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THIS...this is why I love this freakin' place. I was experiencing the exact same issue; thus, I would never use Tv mode. This morning, I'm browsing other posts, think I should search my problems with Tv mode, and BAM! Here's the fix. Thanks, y'all.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-23-2013, 01:23 PM
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Lautrec, I hope you're still paying attention to this thread. Psychdoc's post above perfectly illustrates the benefits of upgrading to the K-5 series: high ISO performance. As I've mentioned before, I had/have a K200D for several years, and often I had to shoot a basketball or volleyball game at the indoor gym. With a max ISO of 1600 and the kit lens, it was virtually impossible to both freeze the action and retain sharpness with the K200D. But as I've also mentioned, with my K-5ii, an ISO of 1600 is perfectly usable; even 3200 is usable; therefore, freezing action at the indoor gym, even with the kit lens, is much, much easier than with the K200D.
So if you're real question is, "Should I spend money on a DA 70mm but I would be shooting on a K200D? OR Should I upgrade to the K-5 series but be forced to shoot a kit lens?" My answer would be this: Upgrading to the K-5 series will improve almost every shot you take, but it's gain in ISO performance will allow you to shoot faster and more accurately while freezing the action, improving EVERY shot you take inside. Even with a kit lens, the improvement of the K-5 series over the K200D is significant enough to make that the first priority. That is, the shots from a K-5 series that relies on ISO, such as those by psychdoc, will be vastly superior to those of the K200D. Now, if ISO is not a factor (you're taking shots outside during a sunny day), then the DA 70 on a K200D should be good.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-19-2013, 09:45 PM
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I upgraded my K200D (which I handed down to my daughter) to a K-5ii. Holy chit is the upgrade worth it! The indoor, upgraded ISO performance of the K-5ii is fantastic.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-28-2013, 10:15 AM
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My $0.02: I have the DA 40mm Ltd. I absolutely love, LOVE this lens for several reasons.
1. it's compact and unobtrusive. it's really, really light.
2. it's focal length is perfect for walking around, I think, especially when combined with its size. I used this lens 95%-99% of the time on a recent 10-day trip to Disneyworld. there were times when I wish it was a bit wider, but those were few and far between. the 40mm focal length allowed for great, personal candid shots while also allowing for shots of architecture and such.
3. its ease of use. snap it on and go. that's it. I got so many good shots with this thing. it focuses fast and quietly.
4. its performance in restaurants was surprisingly good. i rarely used the flash, and i thought the 2.8 COMBINED with the usable ISO performance of the K-5ii negated the need for a flash in many/most of our indoor situations. Heck, I even took photos on several rides/shows: we would be in nearly pitch black or a dim-light situation, and the 40mm 2.8 performed admirably, in a way that I'm sure other lens could not match.
I have an A 50mm 1.7. I have to admit that on those rare occassions when I had time to compose and focus carefully, the rendering and IQ of that lens is...just wow. So I think a case can be made for the DA 50mm. Also, everyone should have a nifty-fifty, I think. I will get a DA 50mm at some point (nearly had one from the pentaxwebstore for cheep), but I'm not sure it will beat the 40mm Ltd.
One final thought: Instead of the 21mm, you might consider the DA 15mm Ltd. Then you're not so close in focal length between that and the 40 or 50. For example, for my photography, I have the DA 40 Ltd., and grab that much more than my 28mm 2.8 because the focal lengths are close enough for me that I'd rather have the DA 40mm LIMITED than the 28mm that I have. I'm sure some others here would disagree. BUT I also have the A 50mm 1.7 in my bag...always. I use it almost as much as the 40mm. For me, though, they serve completely different purposes. If I'm feeling arsty and have time, I prefer the images from the A 50mm 1.7, but if I'm taking street photos and/or family photos around the house (like at holiday times) when I need to be quick on my toes in order to get "that" shot, I grab the DA 40mm Ltd. because I know it works really, really well.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
08-20-2013, 04:36 PM
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First, I want to personally and publicly thank Adam for his communication with Ricoh/Pentax about this issue. I applaud you sir, and I thank you. I love the community here, and I look forward to continued participation.
Second, "look forward to earning your confidence"? I don't think so. I'm not sure why they couldn't honor the $119 price only for orders placed during that time period. When I called pentaxwebstore a couple hours ago, the rep told me that the lens was on backorder but would ship for the $119 in 2-3 weeks. I don't think it will, but I will wait and see. For me, the worst thing about this is that I just bought my K-5ii a few weeks ago, been looking forward to the purchase since the K-5's release two, three years ago. Now, I'm not sure I can use it without a sense of bitterness. I'm sure I will get over it. In fact, I wasn't really even looking for this lens, just thought it was a great deal. Now, I feel pretty bitter but hope I can get over it.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
08-18-2013, 02:19 PM
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Whew! Finally trying to get back to some kind of normalacy after spending 10 days at Disneyworld! To the review!
In anticipation of your mega-trip to Disneyworld, I began looking at camera backpacks. I knew the slingbag and the messenger bag could not hack 10 hour days in the parks for 10 days. I also wanted a bladder system, which narrows choices even further. After some research, I came across Clik-Elite systems. As a bonus, the company is local to my area.
Some intro photos....
The ONE thing I did NOT like about this bag was that the camera storage was on the bottom of the bag. Now, I understand weight distribution, that placing the camera and gear on the top might make things off-balance; however, I did not relish the idea of forgetting my stuff was there and dropping the bag and damaging stuff. But that never happened. If you're a bit anal retentive as I am, I was constantly aware that I had the gear and always set the bag down lightly.
The camera storage area fit my K-5ii snugly, whether the DA 40mm was mounted or the 18-135 was mounted. The very bottom pouch held a large flash diffuser and the 18-135 was stored in the top pouch. A Pentax p&s fit in the middle, back and my A 50 1.7 fit in the middle pocket looking thing there.
I kept an extra battery and remote in here. My flashcards were in a carrier in another pocket.
In this large, second main compartment, I carried all our snacks for the day. It held more than enough food/snacks for 8 people for 10 hours at the park.
Here's the H2O bladder pocket.
Finally, I bought some nylon webbing and had a local shoe repair shoppe/cobbler add some daisy chains to the shoulder straps.
I added the daisy chains for the sole purpose of using Optek's backpack straps.
Final impressions: I LOVE this backpack. I loaded it with my new K-5ii, DA 40mm, DA 18-135, misc. camera gear, 3 liters of water, and a ton of snacks. This was a lot of stuff, and yes, the bag was heavy. BUT it never felt too heavy; my shoulders NEVER hurt. It never felt too overstuffed or like it might break or fall apart. There is a built-in rain hood (that I forgot to take pics of) that I had to deploy nearly every afternoon. Even the rain hood performed well, keeping all my gear dry while still providing access when necessary. With the shoulder straps adjusted and my hip belt adjusted correctly, this backpack was comfortable all day. On the rides and roller coasters, it fit between my feet but just barely. I wouldn't take a bigger bag. Thank goodness we had the water bladder on those hot, humid Florida days.
This backpack is expensive. It cost $150. That's a lot of money for a camera backpack, but given it's unique set of features, it's worth the money. If I lost this bag tomorrow, I'd replace it with the same bag. I highly recommend this bag if you need great camera protection and the bladder.
Probody Sport | Backpacks | Clik Elite |
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
06-16-2011, 08:18 PM
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I love for Sigma EF Super. It's fantastic, much easier to use than I anticipated and gives fantastic results. HOWEVER, I bought the Sigma because I could not afford the high-end Pentax flash. If money were no concern, I would buy the Pentax.
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